Garment clamp for ironing boards



Feb. 7,. 19@ 5.4. LOWRY 294969393 GARMENT CLAMP FOR IRONING BOARDS.

Fil'ed NOV. 28, 1947 v INVENTOR. EDWIN Z]. LLZVYRY ATTURNE Patented Feb. 7, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to an improved garment clamp for ironing boards used in conjunction with steam pressers, and has particular reference to a specially constructed device for clamping an end portion of the garment to the buck of the steam presser when stretching the garment on the buck.

In cleaning and dyeing work it often becomes necessary to stretch certain garments such as pleated skirts, trousers, dyed coats and the like. The general method employed for stretching the garment consists in placing the same on the buck of the steam presser and blowing steam therethrough during which time the garment is held on the buck and the stretching is applied. After the garment is sufficiently stretched a vacuum is produced in the buck for thoroughly drying the steam. In this type of work the press head is never employed. Steam is also blown through garments for various other purposes such as eliminating shine and reviving the life in certain materials, all of which requires a means for retaining the garment on the buck of the machine.

An object of the present invention is the provision of an improved garment stretcher with a hook-like portion adapted to engage one edge of the buck and a resilient means capable of resiliently clamping the stretcher to the buck.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a removable pad on the device, which pad is adapted to fit over the top surface of the buck for retaining the garment thereon.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a removable covering on the pad to facilitate the cleaning of the same.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of a garment stretcher that is durable, simple in construction, economical to manufacture and highly efficient and serviceable in use.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of the specification, wherein for the purpose of illustration like numerals designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of theimproved device shown in its operating position on the buck of a conventional steam presser,

Fig. 2 is a reduced top plan view of the stretcher; also showing the buck in dot and dash lines and the skirt to be stretched in dotted lines, illustrating how the stretcher is positioned over the buck and. the end portion of the skirt.

Fig. 3 is a front end. elevational view 'of the device, and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on line 4 of Fig. I particularly illustrating how the body of the stretcher and the various parts forming thepad are constructed and arranged and removably secured one to the other. Referring in detail to the drawing and the numerals-thereof, the numeral 6 designates, as a whole, a lever-like member forming the central main bar of the device, which bar preferably consists of an elongated strip of wood or other suitable materiaLpreferably formed with a convex bottom portion I, a lower inner extending.

angular portion depending from one end thereof as at 8 and an upper elongated horizontal handlev extending from the opposite end as at 9. shown to advantage in, Fig; l. A pair of elongated reinforcing side members I0 and II are provided and are removably secured to the bar 6 b a plurality of suitable bolts I2 carrying wing nuts I3 as shown to advantage in Fig. 4. The said side members III and I I are each formed with a convex bottom conforming with the convex bottom I of the central bar 6.

A specially constructed pad designated as a whole by the numeral I4 is provided for retaining the garment on the buck of the steam presser. The said pad preferably consists of an elongated strip I5, made of wood or any other suitable material, which strip is formed flat transversely as shown to advantage in Fig. 4 and convex longitudinally as disclosed in Fig. 1. A suitable padding I6 is placed against the bottom of the said strip and is retained in position by a flexible covering II, the said covering having upper portions extending between the sides of the central bar 6 and the reinforcing members Ill and II as at I8 and I 9 and are retained between the said sides by the said bolts and wing nuts I2 and I3, forming a complete unit as illustrated in Fig. 4. The purpose for forming the pad convex is to provide the stretcher with a bottom surface conforming with the top surface of the buck 20 as shown to advantage in Fig. 1.

As the end portion of the garment must be tightly retained on the buck 20 of the steam presser when applying the stretching to the garment, it becomes necessary to provide a means for clamping or otherwise pressing the pad against the garment and the top surfaceof beyond the outer extremity, which loop is capable of being removably secured to the hook member 26 fastened in the bar 6. A pin 21 is positioned in the lower front portion of the said bar 6 and extends transversely therefrom providing a shoulder for accommodating the said coil spring as shown to advantage in Fig. 1. An elongated metal strip 28 reinforces the top of the bar 6 and is secured thereto by the screws The garment is designated by the numeral 30 and is illustrated in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2, which illustrations disclose how the garment is positioned on the buck 20 of the steam presser.

When it is desired to stretch the garment the stretcher is placed over the end portion of the same as shown in Fig. 2, whereby the angular portion 8 of the bar 6 fits over the outer edge and beneath the buck as shown in Fig. 1. The coil spring 2|, which is of a suitable length when contracted, is then pulled across the bottom of the buck and around the pin 21 and secured to the hook member 26, whereby the said coil spring will become expanded and will resiliently retain the garment tightly against the buck. The garment is thus retained for stretching in the most efiicient manner and the labor required is greatly facilitated and reduced to the minimum.

It is to be understood that the form of my in- 4 vention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes relative to the shape, size, material and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

In combination with the buck of a steam presser, a garment clamp comprising a horizontal bar adapted to be transversely positioned across the buck, a padding formed on the bottom portion thereof, said padding being curved to conform with the top surface of the buck, a handle horizontally extending from one end portion of the bar, an angular member formed on the opposite end portion thereof, said angular member being adapted to extend beneath one side portion of the buck, an elongated coil spring connected to the said angular member and adapted to be extended along the bottom surface of the buck and over the front side thereof. and means for removably securing the said elongated coil spring to the top portion of the bar.

EDWIN J. LOWRY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 614,188 Vidler Nov. 15, 1898 823,910 Aigin June 19, 1906 1,104,507 Howell July 21, 1914 1,149,464 Pope Aug. 10, 1915 1,372,183 Metcalf et al. Mar. 22, 1921 1,954,948 Piligian Apr. 1'7, 1934 

